


Holding my world in my arms (Holding you in my arms)

by Verse



Category: Dororo (Manga), Dororo - Osamu Tezuka
Genre: Coming Out, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Modern AU, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-22 19:36:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17668802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verse/pseuds/Verse
Summary: "Most people only talk to me when they want to sleep with me.""I mean... I DO. You a big or a little spoon?""That's not what I meant.""I know. But all I want from you is to be able to hold you."Or: Three times Hyakkimaru and Mio hugged (and Dororo, too.)





	1. Hyakkimaru

**Author's Note:**

> Some people? Write fluff? To cope?

"You know," Dororo's voice rises, and Hyakkimaru can almost hear his eyebrow going up with it "that's not usually what people mean by 'sleeping with a girl.'"

Hyakkimaru doesn't open his eyes -not that it'd be of any use anyway- but he at least has the decency to raise his head toward the noise. The very, very reluctant decency. "Eight years old should not know about that kind of things."

" _I'm **fourteen**_!" Dororo shout-whispers back, fuming. His soul flickers angrily; the sight makes Hyakkimaru smile.

In his arms, Mio shifts. "Should I... Leave?"

What? "No!!" Hyakkimaru says, his hold tightening around her in defense.

"No!!" Dororo yells, too, waving his hands frantically, as if trying to erase a particularly bad graffiti on the wall. "You're always welcome here, nee-chan." Dororo continues softly, his steps pitter-pattering against the wooden floor. "It's  _him_ who should be sleeping on the couch like a gentleman."

"Don't mind him. He's just jealous because he's not part of the cuddle pile yet." Hyakkimaru snickers. Oh, if Mio asked, he  _would_ sleep on the couch- in the tub- anywhere if it made her feel safe. But apparently, safe for her meant between his mechanical soulless limbs, and as inhuman as he felt with those... who was he to judge?

"Whatever. Scoot over, Aniki. Your back is mine." And here he comes! The bed tips when Dororo crawls on it, so small compared to the other two. He nests himself against Hyakkimaru's shoulders like a cat, curled onto himself.

"...you guys are weird " Mio says quietly. "Good weird, I mean! But... definitely different."

And it's Dororo's turn to snort. "You say that as if you weren't family already. Joke's on you, you're already on the Christmas card." Honestly, Hyakkimaru wouldn't even be surprised if Jukai had started knitting her a sweater already. Considering how things went when Dororo moved in-

Hyakkimaru hears her breathe in sharply, and his eyes snap open. Is it good? Is it bad? Did they offend her?

"...really?" She says, with a tiny teeny voice.

"Duh." Dororo, with the tact of an elephant in a china store, replies "by the way- Aniki's moobs are the best pillows you should try them out."


	2. Mio

"I WON!!"

The controller clatters on the floor as Mio suddenly raises both fists in the air, joy running through her veins. Next to her, she hears Hyakkimaru blowing a raspberry, a scowl on his face.

"You hit me with a blue shell." He pouts- which is way more adorable than any grown adult should ever look- " _you_ threw a _blue shell_. At _me_."

"All is fair in love and mariokart." She pats his shoulder (right where his prosthetic ends, so she's sure he can feel it.) "You gonna survive that?"

"Maybe. I don't know." Hyakkimaru puffs his cheeks, crossing his arms. "...maybe if you brush my hair."

That gets her to laugh again. At times like this, the family ressemblance with Dororo really shines through. "Sure thing, Hyakkimaru."

Honestly, it's as much of a treat for her that it is for him. His hair is so soft. He's like... a little kitten. A 170cm tall kitten.

"That reminds me," Mio says as she slides off his hairtie. Now is a good time as any to mention it, isn't it? "There's something I wanted to tell you."

Hyakkimaru gives a noncommittal hum, his eyelids closing over his fake eyes. Knowing him, this won't be a big deal. He didn't care about her job, after all. Besides, Hyakkimaru of all people should know about bodies and births and how little they mean to souls.

(Yet a small, but insistent little voice keeps whispering _what if, what if this is the last time you two can laugh like this, what if he kicks you out and cuts you out of his life, what if he spits on you and raises his fist at you-_ )

She cuts the intrusive thought short.

"I'm trans."

Here goes nothing.

In front of her, Hyakkimaru takes a sharp breath.

_Here goes nothing._

His head snaps towards her, his eyes suddenly wide open, as wide as his growing smile-

"Really?" His arms flash forward, fast as lightning, to cup her hands in his palms "Me too!"

She hears the words. Process them. And-

and now it's her turn to to be surprised. Is her face like his own, she wonders? Sparks in her breath and relief in her tone? "Really?"

"Yes!" Hyakkimaru turns his head left, and starts calling, with that excited tone a lot like a dog wagging its tail. "Dororo! Dororo, come here! She's like us! Mio's like us!"

Feet pound the wooden floor and Dororo, like only Dororo would, comes in the living room like a cannonball and crashes next to them.

"Wow." He says, grinning. "We really do travel in pack!"

And Mio laughs. Because it's funny. Because she's relieved. Because she's been accumulating so much pressure, so many what if what if what if and it's finally finally finally pouring down her mouth into the air.

Hyakkimaru's arms wrap around her, around Dororo, and squeeze them close to his chest, close to his heart.

"I love you guys." he says.

"Me too, Hyakkimaru." If the corner of her eyes prickle, no one point it out. "Me too."

It's good to exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Facts:  
> \- a lot of sex workers are trans women  
> \- Hyakkimaru most likely has no assigned gender, by virtue of y'know. Missing 48 body parts.  
> \- Dororo is canonically trans in the original manga  
> I'm just sayin.


	3. Dororo

In concept, Dororo  _ knows _ what a power move is. The act of setting your balls on the table so hard it quakes. Absolutely obliterating people without even aiming directly for them.

He’d just never realized how  _ intense _ those could be.

Hyakkimaru hunches forward, coughing his lungs out in his hands, eyes wide and wild. Mio hurries to pat his back, water still dripping from her chin from when she’s spit out her drink.

Bruh. Drama queens.

“Extra much?” Dororo deadpans, rising an eyebrow. “Seriously, you guys have been dating for what, four years? When are you two gonna finally get married?” He reaches out for the milk, casually pouring some more. “I want Mio as my official sister-in-law already.”

And yet, far from helping, every words he adds seem to push his aniki downer and downer. Oh, look, his forehead is on the table now. 

Is he blushing? “I- you-” he stutters out painfully “I’m not-” 

Oh, he  _ is _ blushing. A rare sight! Where’s Dororo’s phone? He  _ needs _ to immortalize that.

Mio clears her throat. “We’re not…  _ actually _ dating.”

…

Pfff _ fff _ **_ffFFfFfft_ **

Dororo  _ bursts _ out laughing. He’d always known them as terrible liars, but  _ that _ much??  _ Seriously?? _

“Oh  _ please _ . You people spend so much time touching each other I would be worried on walking into you two trading spit if I didn’t know Aniki was ace.”

Said Aniki, who makes a noise suspiciously similar to a kettle at boiling point. (It’s always a pleasure to find the crudest and worst expressions to use around him.) “I’m just a tactile person!” He squeaks (yes,  _ squeaks _ .) “I don’t have much body to feel with, I like contact on those!”

Oh this is  _ fun _ . “You two keep going on dates.”

“They’re friendly outings!” Mio replies, with too much defense to sound like she believes it herself. “We’re not going out of our way to just be the two of us!” she says, which would be fair if Dororo didn’t know for a fact that this was complete bull.

“You two keep talking my ear off about how beautiful and kind and lovely the other is!” Which is cute, mind you, but sometimes a bro just want to get a Junkrat play of the game in peace.

Oh, look. Aniki’s dying. He’s dead now. He’s rolling on the floor.

Can you believe there are people who genuinely think Hyakkimaru is the stoic one?

…

Okay, why is no one speaking. This is getting uncomfortable.

It’s Mio, who breaks the silence, with a voice so low and so  _ hopeful  _ Dororo would have mistaken it with a chime. “You do?”

Slowly, Aniki peels a pale hand away from his scarlet face. “...Yes.”

Oh. Oh shit they were  _ serious _ about the no dating thing.

“Even if I’m…?” Mio gestures at her everything, as if  _ anything _ was wrong with her in any way, shape or form.

_ That _ breaks Hyakkimaru out of his embarrassment-induced catacony. He sits up suddenly, setting his fake eyes straight on Mio, and speaks with that certainty only he can musters. “ _ Yes _ .”

He gets back on his feet, “Mio,” he starts, climbing back on his chair, “I don’t care what your body is like. I don’t care what job you do.” With a care unexpected from fake hands, he takes hold of Mio’s wrists. Slide his fingers between her owns. “I don’t care how many men touch you. I know I’m the only one who can hold you like this.”

“Hyakkimaru…” She sounds like she’s about to cry. The good kind of crying, though.

“Mio.” He smiles, like Dororo has ever seen him smile around family. “I love you. Your soul, your kindness, your voice. I love  _ you _ .”

And now Mio  _ is _ crying. She buries her face in Hyakkimaru’s neck, her arms sliding around his neck.

She whispers something Dororo can’t hear. It makes Aniki smile even wider.

...would it be frowned upon to start applauding now?

“Dororo, c’m’here.” Hyakkimaru says, startling him. “Join in the group hug.”

“Shouldn’t you guys worry about marriage  _ before _ acting as if I was your new son?” But Dororo does get up, and does get closer.

They’re warm. A father and a mother of heart.

“You should have thought of that before getting us attached to you.” Hyakkimaru laughs. Mio kisses his temple.

This. This is his family. 

(Oh, how does Dororo love them.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that this is the last chapter- hope you enjoyed the fic!

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in the aftermath of ep 5 and I am In Pain.
> 
> You can find me @versegm on tumblr and pillowfort


End file.
